Campus News

Campus Throws Birthday Party for Bowman, the Statue

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Bowman Turns 5
Bowman rules Wildcat Alumni Plaza

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 17, 2017) — Bowman, the Wildcat sculpture that is the centerpiece of Wildcat Alumni Plaza, is turning 5 years old, and the University of Kentucky Alumni Association is inviting the public to his birthday party.

The association will hold an ice cream social and birthday celebration for Bowman from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at Wildcat Alumni Plaza, on the Avenue of Champions across from Memorial Coliseum. There will be ice cream from Crank & Boom and music from D.J. Warren Peace. The event is free and open to the public.

To commemorate the occasion, the UK Alumni Association encourages alumni and friends to post pictures of Bowman and Wildcat Alumni Plaza on social media, using the hashtag #Bowmanturns5.

Bowman, a 7-foot-tall, 9-foot-long intricately detailed bronze Wildcat sculpture, a project spearheaded by the UK Alumni Association, was unveiled to the university community on April 20, 2012. Bowman’s location on Wildcat Alumni Plaza is meant to serve as a gathering place for students, alumni and friends of the university, as well as a friendly ambassador to campus visitors. In fall 2012, UK students voted to name the sculpture Bowman in honor of John Bowman, a lawyer and educator in 19th century Kentucky, who was the founder of what is now the University of Kentucky.  

UK Alumni Association members, area alumni and special guests are invited to a celebration event on Friday evening. For details, visit www.ukalumni.net/bowmancelebration.

For more information, contact Nathan Darce at 859-257-3569 or email nathan.darce@uky.edu.

The UK Alumni Association is a membership supported organization committed to fostering lifelong engagement among alumni, friends, the association and the university. For more information about the UK Alumni Association or to become a member, visit www.ukalumni.net or call 1-800-269-2586.